KITTLESON BROTHERS
Steve and Beth Rachut
Kittleson Brothers is a potatoes and onion grower and packer operation located near St. Ansgar. The farm, which John F. Kittleson started in 1862, has been growing onions for 100 years and potatoes since the 1960s. The land was passed on for several generations until Steve and Beth Rachut purchased the business in 2022. The Rachuts currently grow 35 acres of onions and 30 acres of potatoes, which they distribute to more than 30 grocery stores in Iowa as well as wholesale packers in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Kittleson Brothers’ Choose Iowa grant project will expand its market and consumers. This will be achieved by increasing cold storage and improving potato sizing/processing. The Rachuts will purchase a walk-in cooler, which will allow them to store more produce for longer periods of time, and a potato sizer to increase sorting efficiency. These steps will allow the Rachuts to increase the number of grocery stores and wholesale packers to whom they sell produce.
Kittleson Brothers expects to increase potato sales, overall sales and collaboration with produce buyers. Additionally, this project will allow Kittleson Brothers to continue to supply quality agricultural products to its consumers and serve its community.
